Metallic shelving.



G. H. HURTEAU. METALLIC SHELVING. APPLIOAUQN FILED NOV. 25, 1903.

Patented 'Jul 1909.

UNITED .sTArrns PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. HURTEAU, OF MONTGOMERY, ILLINOIS.

METALLIC SHELVING.

Application filed November 25, 1908. Serial No. 464,473.

To all whom itinayconcem:

Be it known that I, GEORGEH. I'IURTEAU,

, a citizen of the United States,,residing at changeable or counterpart elements which maybe readily erected "in sections of suitable number to' rovid'e desired length of shelf, room, and wiich may be increased or decreased by addition or removal of unit sections. y A further object of my invention isto provide a sectional shelving structure wherein the shelves and supporting rails of each section are local to such section unit and may be vertically adjusted to suitable elevations Without re ard to, the elevation of the shelves in at joining sections and'irrespective of the location of the section in its row, that is, whether such section is in an end or middle positiom Another object of my invention is to provide structural elements which are few in number, strong, light, cheap, economical ins ace re uirement and adapted for assem= b ing Wit 1 ease in relation insuring rigidity and durability.

Yet a further object of my invention is-to provide; a shelf structure facilitating removal and the like. Other and further objects of my invention will become apparentto those skilled in the therefrom and restoration thereto of boxes art from the iollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying draw- .in s, in which:

igure 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of a shelving installation embodying m invention; Fig. 2'isasection on line 22 0 Fig. 1, Fig. '3 is a transverse section through arail, roller and shelf, and; Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of one end of a sheet metal rail.

In the embodiment of my invention I pro vide in general suitable upright structures constituti g section ends, pairsof railscon- .nectlng saidsectlon ends at the front and rear of the shelvlng, each preferably local to its section, and. shelves su iported upon said rails likewise each prefera ily local'to a sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

LPatented July 27, 1909:

tion. More specifically I prefer that iall section-ends shall be counterparts and-that jecting tangentially there rom a vertical web or plate.12,. and'secured to said plate as by counter sunk rivets 1' 5. Thus it will be apparent that in the specific construction described each section end takesthe form of a vertical plate strengthened at its vertical edges by reinforcing webs 1 4, and further by uprights 13. Such constructionrequircs no e'ggtendcd feet or bases, as the bearing afl'orded'by the posts and plate is generally ample.

' The section ends 10 of each section are edges by pairs of rails 16, 16, respectively, local to such section, and the connection of each said rail with'its section ends, is detachable and vertically adjustable. Each rail, 16 andj16,'is preferably formed of sheet metal bent into channel form, preferably sha ed to provide a more or less concave top sur ace, depcnding sides and integral closed ends, so that each rail is light and strong, and

construction of the rail ends I preferably provide the top of the rail with an. extension .18 which is bent down and then folded back upon itself, as shown, and provideth'e sides 19 with enlarged extremities 20' terminating in extensions 20, which are bent inwz'ud toward each other beyond the down-turncd web 18, thereby to completelyclosc'the'rnd of the channel and provide extendedvertical end l.)e aring faces. Forattaching each rail to its section ends I provide in the closed-end of the railoncor more a iertures 21 for bolts,- and in the reinforced we -portion 14 of each end section I provide a series of bolt-holes 22, extending through the webs 14of the uprights 13, and through the plate 12. By

connected together at their front. andrear provides a good end bearing surface. In the each-shall comprise a pa ir of upright posts,

tubular form, each said u righthaving pro 14, said web's being arranged in opposing relation to'embrace between them the sheet connection thereto of the tubular beads or vthis construction rails of adjoining sections ma be brought into horizontal alinement an thetwo rails secured in common by a sin 1e; bolt 23 passing through the rail ends and the intervening section end, or as shown in Fig. 1, shelves may be arranged at different elevations in adjoining sections and each shelf independently secured by bolts 23 taking through the appro riate holes in the end sections. Thus it. wil be apparent that I have provided a shelving structure wherein the attachment and detachment of the shelves is easily accomplished, and the shelves of each section may be adjusted verl5 tically without reference to the height of the shelves in the adjoining sections.

The shelves 25, Iprefer shall be 'of sheet metal, and each local to its section. Each such shelf preferably has its edge bent downwardly, inwardly and then slightly u wardly v to form a stren thening head 26. t is my preference to c nstruct the shelves and their front rails, or such of them as carry heavy objects com aratively difficult to 25 move, with rollers ad acent their front edges,

to facilitate the slippim of the weighty obje'ctonto or from the s elves. To this end I provide near the front edge of the shelf, as shown to the right in Fig. -1, a roller channel 28, in the form of a deep de ression, preferably at its under side inte tting in a similar depression 29, in the front rail 16, said groove or depression 28 being deep enough to receive and retain one or more rollers 30 so that only their upper surfaces project. For some urposes itis convenient to provide a num er of independent rollers, each of a length substantially corresponding with a box or other body to be shelved, and in such instances I preferably provide between adjoining rollers and between the end rollers andthe section ends, balls 31, of diameter substantially corresponding with that of the rollers.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific construction embodyin my invention, it will be apparent to those sIrilledin .the art that numerous changes in the struc- ;ture might be made without departure from the spirit of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is; 1. Metallic shelving, comprisin section 5 5 ends, channel rails having closed en s formed by down-folding the top and in-folding the side of the channel, bearing against and connected to the section ends, and shelves sup ported on said rails.-

2. Knock-down shelving consisting of seotion ends each comprising a vertiealplate re- Y inforced at its vertical edges, metallic side rails, each local to a section, means for connecting the rails to the reinforced ed es of the section ends, permitting vertical a( justment-of the side rails of each section independently of the remaining sections, and shelving carried by said rails.

3. In a shelving structure, section ends each comprising two vertical posts each formed of sheet metal, providing a tubular part and an integral projecting strip, and means uniting the strips of the two posts; side rails carried by said section ends and shelving supported on said side rails.

4; In a shelving structure, section ends, front and rear side rails. formed of sheet metal bent to channel configuration with both sides in-bent at their extremities to abut against the section endand shelving supported on said side rails.

5. In a'shelving structure, section ends, front and rear side rails formed of sheet metal bent to channel configuration and having their upper surfaces concaved and shelving supported on said side rails.

6. In a shelving structure, section ends each composed of a vertical plate, to each edge whereof are secured companion post members, each said post 'member being formed of sheet metal bent into tubular formation with a tangentially projecting web, said webs of the companion post members being arranged on opposite sides of the plate, and secured thereto, side rails supported by the section ends and shelving supported by the said rails.

7 In a sectional shelving structure, section ends, side rails connecting said section ends, each formed of sheet metal -bent to channel configuration throughout its length, and providing relatively deep end walls formed by doublin and down-bendin the central element of the channel and in-fo ding the sides, and means connecting the end walls of'said rails to the section ends.

8. Ina shelving structure, shelf supporting means comprising a rail with a top depression therein, a shelf thereon having a similar depfieffsion, and a roller in the depression ofthe s e v In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses' GEORGE HZi-IURTEAU; In the presence bff GEO. T. MAY, Jr., MARY F. ALLEN. 

